6th Bavarian Infantry Division information

Article about: It's been awhile since my last post but I would like any information on the 6th Bavarian Infantry Division, especially around 27.2.15. All information is appreciated. Thanks, Justin Halvorse

Re: 6th Bavarian Infantry Division information

Justin...heres a potted history, 6th Royal Bavarian Division, formed April 1st 1900, headquarters at Regensburg, approx 15000 Officers, NCO's and men. Recruited mainly from the Upper Palitinate and lower Bavaria. At the outbreak of the war the 6th and 5th Divisions constituted the 3rd Bavarian Corps, part of the 6th Bavarian Army under the Crown Prince Rupprecht.
Its first action was part of the "Battle of the frontiers" being part of a covering force at Romilly 4th August 1914, on the 20th fought at Prevecourt & Delme, crossing the French border on the 22nd, and engaged at Maixe on the Saron. 8/9th September at Nancy, until the 11th when it retreated. To Metz 14th to 17th and then west of the Moselle, where it reached and climbed "Cotse de Meuse" on the 21st and commenced the attack on the fort of Camp des Romains and St Mihiel on the 27th. This attack continued thro to October 14th, ending in the capture of the fort and St Mihiel. The Division then established itself from Chauvancourt, Spada and Lamarville in Novemer/December.
At the beginning of 1915 it moved to the sector of St Miheil, where it stayed for the entire of 1915 up until June 1916 when it was sent on the 20th June to the Verdun front. On the 23rd the French attacked the Division (together with the Alpine Corps) front line at Thiaumont, they suffered heavy losses. It was then sent on July 4th to a rest area, from there on the 13th/16th it went back into the line at Fleury, where its losse were so high that the 11th Infantry at Ratisbonne were ordered to furnish 500 replacements. August 2nd/3rd again lost heavily in this sector, and on the 6th left the Verdun sector, and was sent to the Somme (out of the frying pan and into the fire!) and was in position between Flers and Gueudecourt, again suffering heavy losses.It was then sent to Artois and took over the sector of Neuve Chapelle-Festubert until May 10th 1917, when it was relieved and sent into line North-East of Arras, in the middle of May it suffered losses through a gas attack. September 29th it was sent to participate in the 3rd battle of Ypres, at Passchendaele, Flanders, (N.E. of Langamarck) when on the 4th October it was attacked by the British, causing heavy casualties, relieved 8th/10th October, the Division was sent for rest and a refit. Then on the 18th back to Artois, South of the La Bassee canel, where it again suffered from more gas attacks.
Relieved from this area January 18th 1918, it was again it was sent to rest South of Tournai. 24th February it is believed that the Division was sent to Lille, where it recieved training in "Open warefare" in anticipation of the Spring offensive. At the start of the Spring offensive "Operation Micheal" in March 1918 it was sent to the Cambrai front, entering the line on the 20th, attacking the following day. The Division lost heavily and was withdrawn on the 26th. On 4th April the Division was sent to Dixmunde, and was involved in an elaborate attack with other formations against Belgian forces, this attack failed, and many men were lost as prisoners.
It was then sent South of Bruges on the 19th April, and after a week was sent on to the Verdun sector, where on the 24th May it relieved the 22nd Division at Beaumont (North of Verdun). August 7th it was relieved and rested. In August it was sent to the Roye region, it was in the Bois des Loges on the 16th, there the Division remained in the line, retiring in the face of Allied advance, the Division fought stubornly, around Campagne, Montigny and Essigny le Grand, where it counter-attacked violently, but in vain on September 29th.
It was still in the line when the Armistice was signed, 11th November 1918.
Allied inteligence valued the Division as one of the best 45 enemy divisions, morale always good despite heavy losses, and it was noted "Quite anti-Prussian". I include photographs of the composition of the Division. If you rquire more info on a particular date, you may have to find and read the war diaries of a specific unit/regiment in the Division. Check here for information on St Miheil...Saint-Mihiel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hope this has helped.
Prost ! Steve.

Click to enlarge the picture

Last edited by oradour; 11-14-2010 at 07:42 PM.

"The German Army is the perfectly adapted, perfectly running Machine. The difference is that the Germans are organised with a view to War...with the cold, hard, practical and business-like purpose of winning victories."
G.W. Steevens - The Daily Mail (1897)

Re: 6th Bavarian Infantry Division information

Re: 6th Bavarian Infantry Division information

habicht. a rather nice pistolen 08, an "ERFURT" 1911 made item from Thuringia (1911-18).....nicely marked up to the machine gun company of that regiment (Kgl. Bayer. 6. Infanterie-Regt. Kaiser Wilhelm, König von Preußen, (Amberg) III Bayer. Armee Korps, Reserve regts shadow the parent regt), it would fill my Luger holster well !....which due to our laws here in the U.K. remains, sadly, empty !....fab matching photo of the machine gunner from B.R.R.6, notice the rare "drag" strap, across his chest !...heres my rather "salty" but complete holster, not regimentaly marked, but mm to an unkown maker from Berlin and dated 1915.
Bavarian 6th Reserve Regiment was part of the Bavarian 20th Infantry Brigade, which in turn was part of the Bavarian 10th Division, from 1915-18, being previously (pre-March 1915) part of the 5th Bavarian Reserve Division. It fought on the Somme, Bukovina, Galacia, Flanders, Russia, Lorraine and ended up in the line on the Aisne & Marne in 1918, however there is a connection with the Bavarian 6th Division, as the Bavarian 10th Division was dissolved in August 1918 and its units dispersed to the Bavarian 6th reserve, 11th and 14th Divisions !
Prost ! Steve.

Click to enlarge the picture

Last edited by oradour; 11-17-2010 at 06:45 PM.

"The German Army is the perfectly adapted, perfectly running Machine. The difference is that the Germans are organised with a view to War...with the cold, hard, practical and business-like purpose of winning victories."
G.W. Steevens - The Daily Mail (1897)